Chinese New Year also known as Spring Festival (春节）. The festival begins on the first day of the first month and end on the fifteenth day according to lunar calendar. Reunion dinner will be held on the last day of the year as it marks the end of winter season. Reunion dinner on New Year Eve is of paramount important to the Chinese for it is when all family members would gather with grandparents or great grandparents. The reunion dinner is usually sumptuous as it is a time of joyful celebration. Foods are meant not to be eaten completely. They are to be stored to signify “surplus”. Red packets will be distributed to immediate family members as a symbol of blessings. Red is the predominant colour that symbolizes joy, sincerity, prosperity, virtue and truth. Spring Festival is a moment of fellowship and sharing. Visitation is done among distant family members as well as friends.
What do you do during Chinese New Year? Visiting family members and friends? Simon posted on Facebook, “I will hunt for red packets”. What about you? Clean and tidy your desk, wardrobe and drawers? One of the important characteristics of Chinese New Year is to acquire new clothing, new set of furniture etc. Things renewal is not complete without the renewal of the hearts and minds. Usually, prior to Chinese New Year, houses will be cleaned and tidied. Let us go for an extra mile which is to clean our hearts and minds as well. What do you store in your hearts; jealousy, anger, hatred, malice? It needed to be swept and cleaned to be renewed and transformed. Red packets should not be our aims in this festival. Well, what about praying for the people who bless us with red packets and learn to share with the less fortunate?
Family reunion dinner is not determined by the food. I ever enjoyed a simple nasi padang with my wife, my son and Dicky for reunion dinner on Chinese New Year Eve. We had eggs, curry chickens and a bottle of apple juice. However, we had a great time eating together and chatting. Most people choose to eat lavishly, what about just eat what we can afford? The joy does not depend on the food but on the quality of fellowship. It is a time of forgiveness, reconciliation, fellowship, love and sharing. Whenever we have reunion dinner we can be reminded of the grand feast prepared for us in heaven (Matthew 8.11).
Chinese New Year is also characterized by greetings to express wishes and blessings. let us not just simply greet bu pray for one another. Let us transform our greetings to sincere prayers. We can make use of the festive season to bless one another with sincere prayers. By renewing and transforming what we usually do during Chinese New year will lead us to a deeper and more significantly meaningful festival. Are you ready to be the Spring Festival Transformers?
Chinese New Year is also characterized by greetings to express wishes and blessings. let us not just simply greet bu pray for one another. Let us transform our greetings to sincere prayers. We can make use of the festive season to bless one another with sincere prayers. By renewing and transforming what we usually do during Chinese New year will lead us to a deeper and more significantly meaningful festival. Are you ready to be the Spring Festival Transformers?
